So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:16-20)
Where
were you the day JFK was assassinated? When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon?
When the Challenger exploded? When the jets were flown into the World
Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Pittsburg? I’m too young to
remember the first two, but the last two I can tell you – I was at home when my
mother called to tell me about the Challenger, and I was standing at my
desk at the County Courthouse with my hand held “just so” when someone from
the next office delivered the news about the Twin Towers. I don’t remember
exactly what I was doing, but I know where I was.
There
are big events in most of our lives. Today we celebrate what is probably the
second or third biggest thing in history. It depends on whether you treat the
Crucifixion and the Resurrection as one thing or two. And, of course, some would disagree.
I
suspect that for the shepherds would have counted “that night” as a big thing. We
know they told those who would listen that night and probably for the next
several days. Were they still talking about it ten years later? Twenty?
Thirty-three? Did their family and friends roll their eyes and pat their
shoulders? Did they say, “Oh, do you have to tell that story again?” And
when Jesus performed miracles, was crucified, and rose again, did the shepherds
say, “I told ya so!”?
We
probably all have stories we love to tell and have told too often, but stories connect
us to ourselves, one another, the world around us, history, and God. There are other stories that we probably should tell, but “can’t.” They’re
too emotional. We’d look like lunatics.
And
I’ve told this story before. There are people in my family who did some amazing
stuff. When I’ve asked them for their stories, I’ve been told, “Oh, it’s not
worth telling. My great, great, great, great grandfather was killed in the
Revolutionary War. My great, great, great grandfather fought in the
Revolutionary War, was captured by Native Americans and sold to the British,
escaped and fled across New York State, and trained soldiers for the War of
1812. As an old man needing two canes to walk, he assaulted a young man for
saying bad things about George Washington, and when he was taken to court, he
said he’d do it again. He was fined a penny (no small sum in that day) but the
plaintiff got to pay the court costs. But I’ll bet if you were able to ask
Captain Samuel Ransom or Colonel George Palmer Ransom, they’d tell you about
being farmers.
The
stories we’re most reluctant to tell are often important stories to others.
So here’s my challenge to you. Between
now and the start of the new year, write one of your stories. It doesn’t have
to be well-written. There are no prizes involved. I’ll delete any negative comments. But write one story of your life and post it in the comments.
Tell about how you came to Christ or something He’s done in your life.
Tell us about a struggle faced, a lesson learned, a victory, or a defeat. Tell
about some decision made that has changed your life for the better, or the
worse.
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